This review was originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review

All Troll wants is to be able to eat an Oliver. However, catching an Oliver is tricky and no matter what Troll does, he has a hard time succeeding. Oliver won’t stand still and let himself get caught. By spring, Troll becomes discouraged because all he has had to eat are twigs and stones. The next day the Oliver is on the lookout for Troll, but Troll never comes. Just when Oliver thinks he has won, the tables turn and Troll has a chance to get what he wants.

Troll and the Oliver is the kind of book that delivers constant giggles and maybe even a gasp of surprise. Stower makes the unusual choice of having a child as the antagonist, but he still makes Oliver fun and the reader is able to root for him and Troll at the same time. The story from the Troll's point of view is unique in that Troll is the hero in the story instead of a villain like a troll normally would be. Troll’s facial expressions in the illustrations are amusing, varying from surprised to angry to pleased. Readers of all ages will enjoy reading about how Oliver and Troll are able to set aside their differences for something they have in common. ( )

I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I like the book because of the point of view it is coming from. But I did not like this book because at one point the troll eats Oliver, the boy. The point of view of this book was in first person however it was from the view of the troll. It was really cute how the troll called the boy, “The Oliver”. This is great for children to understand and see different point of views from not so likely characters. The plot was great as it built anticipation for when troll would catch the Oliver. When troll did catch him, he caught him in Oliver’s house by eating him. For children in the kindergarten to 2nd grade level this could frighten them. Overall, this book was modern fantasy with the main idea being never become to confident in yourself because when you least except something it will pop up at you! ( )

Troll and the Oliver was a great picture book for small children. The book tells of a troll who wants to eat a small boy named the Oliver. No matter how hard the troll tries he can never eat the Oliver. Eventually Troll gives up and finds something else to eat that’s even more delicious than the Oliver. I liked this story very much because of the interactions in the book. The use of cut outs and flaps to show hidden pictures makes the reading of the book more interesting. Towards the end of the book Oliver gets a surprise from the Troll that is revealed through a flap in the book. This creates excitement for the reader and breaks up the average pace of reading a book. I think the moral of the story is that you should never judge someone by their outer appearance. Troll judged the Oliver by thinking because he is small he could out maneuver the Oliver and eat him. The Oliver judged Troll by thinking he couldn’t be eaten by Troll because he was so smart. ( )